Revolving connecter



Jan. 26, 1937.

H.' ASKLUND 2,069,126

.REVOLVING CONNECTER Filed July 13, 1934 Patented Jan. 26, 1937 REVOLVING CONNECTER Hjalmar Asklund,

Application July 13,

Uddevalla, Sweden 1934, Serial No. 735,023

En Sweden July 3, 1933 4 Claims.

prising two Contact carryingr members, which may be turned relatively to each other and areprovided with contacts, for example in the shape of contact rings so disposed that during the revolving movement each or" the contacts of one contactl carrying member always is in engagement with a corresponding contact of the other contact carrying member, the contacts being furthermore connected with terminal screws, plug contacts, contact sleeves or other connecting devices, which serve to connect a cord to one of the Contact carrying members and to connect a cord or an electric apparatus to the other contact carrying member.

Preferably one contact carrying member is shaped as a substantially cylindrical outer casing, which is divided into two halves along an axial plane and the interior oi which is provided with bands of metal connected to contact sleeves, annular metal rings being rotatably disposed in the said bands on an interior cylindrical contact carrying member, which thus may be turned relatively to the outer casing and which also is provided with contact sleeves or the like for connecting a cord.

If desired, ball bearings may be provided between the contacts of the two contact carrying members so as to conduct the current and to reduce the bearing friction. Instead oi ball bearings also spring washers may be disposed between the contacts.

The accompanying drawing shows embodiments of the invention by way or example.

Figure l shows a coupling or connecter, in which one contact carrying member consists of an outer cylindrical casing i of Bakelite or other insulating material, which is provided with a closed head 2 at one end and with inwardly curved walls 3 at the other end. The casing is divided into two halves along an axial section, the said two halves being held together by means of screws il. The inside of the casing is provided with several annular recesses, in which semicircular or segmental metal bands 5 are embedded at the surface. Bearing rings 6 of metal are placed onto the bands 5 and serve as contacts bearing against the metal bands 5. By means of conducting wires 'l embedded in the wall of the casing the metal bands 5 are each connected with a contact embedded in the head 2 adjacent to one of the sockets 8 adapted to receive a pin of a complementary coupling. The other contact carrying member consists of a cylinder 9 of Bakelite or other insulating material and is disposed coaxially within the outer casing I. In the cylinder s metal bands lil are embedded at the surface against which bear Contact rings I i having angular cross section, which at the revolving of the inner Contact carrying member relatively to the outer one always are in touch with the said bearing rings il, which have a convex or rounded restingand Contact surface. In the inner cylinder are further embedded conducting wires I2, which connect each of the bands I6 with its contact sleeve iii. The four conductors of the cord I4 are introduced into the contact sleeves I 3 and held in their positions by means of clamping screws i5. Each pair of the mutually turnable contact rings 6, i I is insulated from the next pair by means of discs I6 of mica or other suitable insulating material. The lower end of the inner contact carrying member, which end is provided with contact sleeves, is widened to support the nearest metal bearing Ii, and the other end is threaded and provided with a nut I1 having a spring washer E8, which nut serves for tightening the contacts and holding the whole together. Instead of the threads being provided on the contact carrying member 9 itself, which consists of insulating material, a screw bolt may be embedded in the Contact carrying member 9, on to which the nut Il is screwed, by which arrangement a greater strength is obtained.

Instead of the bands 5, IIJ also short contacts or contact segments, which extend only along part of the circumference, may be embedded into the contact carrying members.

Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the contacts. In this case they are made in the shape of discs I9, between which ball bearings 2i are disposed. By means of the ball bearings, which also serve to conduct the current, the advantage is obtained that the bearing friction is reduced, which is of great importance in certain cases, when it is desired that the revolving connection shall move as easily as possible.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A swivelling coupling for electrical conductors comprising cylindrical coaxial insulating members adapted to be placed one within the other in spaced relation and relatively rotatable on a common axis, the outer of said members being divided in an axial plane and open at one end to admit a cord carrying a plurality of conductors, a plurality of separated contact elements mounted in the end of the outer insulating member opposed to said open end, a rst set of insulated Contact bands embedded in the inner wall of the outer insulating member and respectively electrically connected with said contact elements, Ia rst set ofinsulated contact rings mounted within the outer insulating member and seated within the rst set of contact bands, a second set of insulated contact bands embedded in the outer Wall of the inner insulating member, connecting elements mounted in the outer end of the inner insulating member adapted to be connected respectively with the conductors of a cord entering the outer insulating member, said connecting elements being respectively electrically connected with the contact bands of the second set, a second set of insulated contact rings mounted on the inner insulating member to bear respectively on the contact bands of the second set and also to bear 'against the Contact rings of the rst set, said rst set of Contact rings being arranged in pairs, with the rings of each pair insulated from each other and each ring of said second set being in electrical contact with one ring of said first set but insulated from each other and adjusting means for maintaining in assembled relation the outer and inner insulating members and the parts carrie-d thereby so that the two sets of contact rings are held in electrical contact.

2. A swivelling coupling for electrical conductors as claimed in claim l, wherein the outer insulating member is divided in an axial plane into complementary parts so that separation of said parts admits the several Contact bands and co-ntact rings to be seated within the outer insulating members, and means for clamping together said complementary parts in their assembled relation, said outer insulating member being closed at the end opposite to said open end.

3. A swivelling coupling for electrical conductors as claimed in claim l, wherein the inner insulating member is provided with an abutment at its outer end, and a detachable element mounted on the inner end of said inner insulating member coacts with the abutment to hold the assembled parts in place.

4. A swivelling coupling for electrical conductors as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contact rings mounted on the Vinner insulating member are angular in cross-section, with angularity of each of said rings registering with a corner part of the opposite Contact ring mounted in the outer insulating member.

HJALMAR ASKLUND. 

